Abstract

In its exploration of the sub-theme, ‘Nigerian nation, Resource Control and National Integration’, this paper attempts to explain the fundamental reason why all the previous efforts towards national integration failed. The paper observes that the prevailing Nigerian nation is an organizational framework established for purposes of economic exploitation and domination of multi - ethnic nationalities by foreign and national elites. Further, their method is located in the various integration policies Nigeria has pursued since British penetration, which have synthetically led to intra class struggle, fragility and failure in nation-building. Fundamentally, the paper argues that the failure of integration in Nigeria is predicated on the pursuit of elites’ individual economic interests using integration policies as tools with their attendant intra-class struggle. Thus, it recommends the establishment of a special Integration Board to usher in genuine integration process; and Sovereign National Conference to restructure Nigerian federalism.

Key words: integration, disintegration, federal principles, nation, national elites, domination and exploitation, political economy.